


Food Fight

by tfw_cas



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe, Castiel/Dean Winchester First Kiss, Competition-Set Fic, Enemies to Lovers, Flirting, Fluff, Food Kink, Food Porn, M/M, Pie
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-25
Updated: 2018-06-25
Packaged: 2019-05-28 10:53:27
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,483
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15047285
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tfw_cas/pseuds/tfw_cas
Summary: When Dean Winchester sees the advert for a dessert competition, he is determined to compete... and win. His desire to win becomes less important however, after meeting fellow contestant Castiel Novak. The result ends up being sweet for everyone.





	Food Fight

**Author's Note:**

  * For [supernatural9917](https://archiveofourown.org/users/supernatural9917/gifts).



> Huge thanks to the lovely [Emblue_Sparks](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Emblue_Sparks) and [PassionPhantom](https://archiveofourown.org/users/PassionPhantom) for the encouragement, support, suggestions, love, and for pointing out my Britishisms. Also, to [PassionPhantom](https://archiveofourown.org/users/PassionPhantom) for making the advert so pretty, and for the beautiful headers. Thank you again!

 

 

If there was one thing Dean Winchester knew, it was that he could kick anyone’s ass when it came to baking. His desserts were legendary - especially his pies - and he was going to enter this competition and win! Well… he would damn well try anyway.

 

+++++++++++++++++++++

 

After two hectic months of cooking, auditions, and screen tests, Dean got the letter to confirm that he had been chosen as one of the eight contestants. This was going to be awesome.

 

Over the next six weeks, Dean spent every free moment perfecting his creations; trying out his food on everyone who came near him. His brother Sam and sister-in-law Eileen, his best friend Charlie, his boss Bobby… even the mailman. That was until Sam began to complain that he was putting on weight, and Charlie said that she “never wanted to put anything sweet in her mouth ever again.”

 

Damn, maybe he was trying too hard. But screw it, he really wanted to succeed at this. On the outside he was confident and cocky, and took no shit from anyone. But in reality, he knew he had some self-esteem issues. He had fantasies of finding Ms. or Mr. right some day, but a heap of failed relationships hadn’t helped with his sense of worthlessness. Winning this competition would definitely make him feel better about himself.

 

Finally, after seemingly endless months of waiting, the first day of filming arrived. Dean would get to meet everyone involved, and they would each film a little segment about themselves before the cooking began. He could hardly contain himself when he got to the TV studios, with Sam and Eileen as his cheerleaders, and as he surreptitiously checked out the other contestants, he felt more and more relaxed about his chances of winning.

 

There was Garth, a skinny, friendly dude, who had a sock puppet in his pocket that he would bring out in order to make everyone laugh; Rowena, a petite red headed woman from Scotland who flirted with everyone, and said that she used magic to make her cooking extra special; Meg, a spiky, snarky demon of a woman, who seemed to get immense pleasure out of being rude to everyone; Ash, a guy with a mullet, who Dean strongly suspected was more used to cooking pot brownies; Billie, a magnificently imposing woman who took no shit from anyone, and Dean found himself quietly in awe of her; Hannah, the quietest of all the contestants, who it appeared was mostly there to get away from her husband for a few days; and finally, Castiel, an uptight, tax accountant looking guy, who didn’t seem to have any social skills at all, (he avoided speaking to anyone). Sure, he was attractive, with that hair, and those lips… and striking blue eyes, but Dean had absolutely no interest in that. He was here to win, and nothing else. He definitely wasn't going to ogle his rivals. No way!

 

The show’s host was Gabriel, a man with a twinkle in his eye and a self-proclaimed sweet tooth. Like Rowena, he flirted outrageously with everyone, and Dean wondered idly if maybe the two of them would be good together. One of the people Gabriel flirted seriously with was Sam, when the introductions were being made. Sam’s embarrassment at being hit on by ‘a dude who’s a foot shorter than me’ made Dean and Eileen laugh like a pair of idiots, and Eileen mischievously suggested that Sam should consider going on a date with Gabriel as it might help Dean’s chances of winning.

 

Alongside Gabriel, presenting the show were two delightful women called Jody and Donna, who Dean wouldn’t have been at all surprised to discover were in a relationship together, from the way they behaved around each other. They informed everyone that they were going to try playing at being good cop, bad cop with the contestants; although Dean highly doubted that either of them could be anything approaching a bad cop. Jody might just about be able to pull it off, with the mom vibe she had, but Donna just reminded Dean of a cute little bunny; no way could she scare anyone.

 

Dean was the third contestant to film their segment, and he mostly talked about the subject which was closest to his heart; his family. The family that consisted of Sam, Eileen, and their kids Mary and Adam, and Sam and Dean’s dad John. Things had been rough for a while after their mom Mary died when they were children, but John had worked through his grief, and these days he had a good relationship with his sons. Dean didn’t mention the bad times though - he loved his dad, and didn’t want people to get the wrong idea. He finished up by talking about his job as a barber, and he might just have mentioned that he was single. Because… well, you never know.

 

Castiel was next, and Dean found himself listening to the guy speak. He did have an incredible voice - deep and sultry, like… well, like sex. Dean suddenly got a vivid image of that voice whispering in his ear as Castiel- _Good grief, get a grip_. Castiel didn’t mention any family, or friends; for some reason, he was talking about his interest in bees, and how they need to be saved. Dean began to wonder if the bees were his only friends. Then, to Dean’s astonishment, Castiel told the camera that he was a dancer. Dean had been certain that he was an accountant, or something just as dull, but a dancer? That was unexpected, to say the least. If only Castiel wasn’t wearing that ridiculous trench coat, Dean might be able to get a better look at his physique. Just as a matter of interest, obviously.

 

Once the personal bits were all done, the filming proper began. They went into the main studio, which had been fitted with eight separate kitchen areas, and after a brief talk about respecting each other’s space, and basic safety rules, they were each assigned an area.

 

Dean had a moment of panic, as he saw the camera pointed at him, but he tried to pretend it wasn’t there and waited for the instructions.

 

“Contestants. Your first cooking challenge is crêpes. In your cupboards and refrigerators you will find everything you need to make your crêpes, plus a wide variety of fruits and other ingredients that you can use as fillings.” Gabriel spoke in a calm, reassuring voice. “Okay, start cooking, and good luck.”

 

With that, Gabriel stepped backwards and took a seat away from the cameras, while Jody and Donna weaved their way through the studio to encourage, question, tease… attempt to play good cop bad cop.

  


****

 

Once Dean had gathered what he needed to make the batter, he had a look around to see what he could use for the filling. _Hmmm, yes_. He found just what he needed and started with the preparation. Castiel was directly in front of him, and despite wanting to concentrate on what he was doing rather than Castiel, he was mesmerised by the way the man moved. Knowing that he was a dancer wasn’t helping with this situation at all. However, he was very quickly put off by the guy precisely measuring out every single ingredient. Dean’s way of cooking was by feel - he threw the ingredients into the bowl, and just knew what felt right. He frowned and shook his head in disgust. So what if Castiel was attractive and intriguing, and a dancer… he was Dean’s rival, and was also really annoying.

 

Jody and Donna kept things entertaining by making quips throughout the cooking process, saying things like ‘beat that better… I mean batter’. In his head, Dean started referring to them as ‘the sweet ladies’, even though they were sometimes quite naughty and not sweet at all.

 

Two hours later, Dean was dishing up his crepes with a filling made from whipped cream, cream cheese, sugar, vanilla extract, and a mixture of berries. Jody and Donna were collecting the plates of food to bring over to Gabriel, who had an extremely happy look on his face at the prospect of getting to try so many delicious looking desserts. To make the process completely fair, Gabriel had no idea which dish belonged to who; it was good to know that they would be judged entirely on their food alone.

 

As Gabriel began to work his way through the dishes, there was an air of excitement, and everyone fell quiet. He gave very little away while he ate, and by the time he had finished Dean thought he might actually explode with anticipation. Gabriel, Jody and Donna conferred for a few minutes, then Gabriel delivered the verdict. As usual with this kind of show, they gathered everyone around, then drew out the announcement for as long as possible.

 

“The contestant who will be going home today is……………………………………”

 

_Jeeze, will you just get on with it_.

 

“........................................................... Ash. Your crêpes were… interesting.” Gabriel’s mouth quirked up. “Thank you for taking part.”

 

Gabriel shook Ash’s hand, then he spent the next few minutes discussing the strengths and weaknesses of everyone else’s dishes. He told Dean that his crêpes were practically perfect, but the berry sauce was a little tart. “Sweeter next time,” he delivered with an eyebrow waggle.

 

“Castiel, your lemon filling was to die for, but the crêpes could have been better.”

 

_Hah_! Dean thought, before turning towards the other man. Castiel did not look happy.

 

“I can assure you that I did everything correctly.”

 

_He really needs to loosen up_. Dean patted Castiel on the shoulder, and was about to say something comforting, until Castiel bristled and pulled away. Maybe he didn’t like to be touched, Dean thought belatedly. He backed off and held his hands up in a placating gesture.

 

“Sorry man, my bad.”

 

Castiel muttered something under his breath, that sounded like ‘I accept your apology’, before turning and walking away.

 

Filming was done for the day, and they made their way back to the motel they were all staying at. Castiel kept his distance, but Dean managed to speak to everyone else, including Ash, who hung around for the rest of the evening. Dean decided they were a nice bunch… mostly.

 

He still wanted to win though.

  


****

 

Dean had the perfect cheesecake recipe - raspberry and lemon - and he knew that Gabriel would love it. He was placed in the same kitchen as yesterday, and yet again, he had Castiel in front of him. He was determined not to get distracted by the other man’s presence, although he did have a really nice ass…

 

This cheesecake needed to be baked in the oven, so Dean had no time to waste. He got working on his creation straight away, and he was thoroughly engrossed when he noticed that Meg was trying to get Castiel’s attention from in front of him. She was turning around and fluttering her eyelashes at Castiel, but he seemed to be oblivious. _Maybe just as well._ Dean wasn’t at all sure about the woman.

 

“Hey Clarence,” Meg hissed at Castiel. “You got any sugar?”

 

_Clarence_ ? _What the hell_? Dean stopped what he was doing and kept an eye on her.

 

Meg leaned forwards onto Castiel’s worktop and tried again. “Hey, angel boy. I’ve run out of sugar.” Damn, she was persistent. And irritating.

 

Castiel looked up and stared at Meg, seemingly perplexed by her flirty behaviour, and as he did, she quickly poured something into the mixture in his bowl. _The sly demonic_ … Dean walked around from his kitchen area and grabbed hold of Meg’s wrist, trying to see what she had in her hand.

 

“What are you d-” As Dean challenged Meg, Castiel pulled Dean’s hand away from Meg and glared at him.

 

“Dean, what do you think you are doing?”

 

“I was… she just-” Dean forgot what he was going to say as Castiel turned those eyes on him, and spoke in that voice. _Jesus._

 

“I would be grateful if you kept to your own kitchen.” Castiel turned away with a huff, and Dean suddenly didn’t want to help him, he wanted to throttle him.

 

_Well, screw you_ , Dean thought as he stomped back to his own kitchen. He muttered angrily to himself “you try to do a guy a favour,” while trying to refocus on his own cheesecake.

 

In all the commotion with Castiel and Meg, Dean had completely forgotten about the cameras, and the fact that they would have captured what she did. So he wasn’t expecting Jody and Donna to march over to Meg, and start berating her.

 

“Meg. We saw what you did to Castiel’s cheesecake. We do not tolerate cheating on this show.” Jody was attempting to be calm but firm.

 

“Hey,” Meg cackled. _Yes, it was a cackle_. “I was just trying to pep it up some. Who wants boring vanilla anyway?”

 

Donna loomed over Meg then and almost growled at her. “How dare you? You get caught cheating, and you try to brush it off as if it’s nothing? You need to leave, lady, before-”

 

Jody turned to the cameramen and made a ‘cut’ motion, then pulled Donna into her arms to soothe her.

 

“You’d better get her out of here, before I do something I might regret,” Donna seethed, while a security guard took Meg by the arm and marched her off the set.

 

Dean watched these events in amazement, much like everyone else. So… Donna wasn’t quite the cute little bunny she seemed, and Dean was mightily impressed.

 

Dean became aware that Castiel was staring at him and, knowing that he had nothing to hide or apologise for, he stared right back. This went on for much longer than could be considered ‘normal’, and only ended when Jody spoke to Castiel.

 

“Castiel, I am… we are… so sorry that Meg sabotaged you. We are going to allow you to start again, so that you can present your best effort to Gabriel.” Turning to everyone in the room, she then said “there will be no elimination this round - Meg eliminated herself.”

 

“Thank you,” Castiel replied awkwardly, then, he said to Dean “I am sorry, Dean. You were trying to help.”

 

Dean could see how mortified Castiel was, and he wasn’t one to hold a grudge, so he smiled and said “don’t worry about it. You didn’t know what Meg did.”

 

Castiel seemed surprised by this, as if he was expecting Dean to still be pissed at him. He smiled self-consciously, before getting back to his cheesecake mixture, and Dean was left wondering about this curious man. There was a grouchy exterior and he had a habit of staring unnervingly, and he was still doing that irritating thing of measuring out all of his ingredients, but there was also a willingness to admit he was wrong. Plus, the guy was also super hot, which didn't hurt. Maybe this evening Castiel might interact with the other contestants and not disappear into his room immediately, like he did yesterday.

 

Gabriel happily tried all of the cheesecakes and gave his opinion on each one. Dean’s was ‘creamy and rich’, and the raspberries perfectly complimented the filling. Castiel’s had the perfect texture, and although the filling was vanilla, he had added slices of mango on the top in a tasty and beautiful arrangement.

 

Dean’s hopes for talking to Castiel were dashed as soon as they were done; Castiel slipped out of the studio and disappeared. Dean was disappointed, but not too surprised, so he put the other man out of his mind and spent the evening in a local bar, getting to know everyone else a bit more - except for Meg, who had fled, it seemed.

 

Garth and his sock puppet Mr. Fizzles were truly hilarious; Garth would put on a silly voice and call people out on their bullshit. He was also an overly affectionate teddy bear, who loved hugs. Rowena was sarcastic and her wit could be biting, but she clearly had a loving heart; Dean saw this when she talked about losing her son. Hannah was the quietest, and unexpectedly, despite being married, she clearly had a thing for Castiel. Dean hoped that Castiel wouldn’t get involved with her - that could get very messy.

 

Dean was a little intimidated by Billie, who was tall and strong, and spoke authoritatively. It turned out she was a theology professor, and spoke passionately on the subject. Also, she and Rowena had become close friends already. Ash was still around, but after smoking a couple of joints, he didn’t contribute much to the conversation. He seemed like a nice enough dude though. Castiel was… well, he wasn’t there.

 

Dean would still quite like to win, although he was starting to really like these people.

  


****

 

Dean was not going to make his mousse out of chocolate - he was certain about that. He wanted something unusual… something that would hopefully stand out from the rest. He decided on mango and basil, and once he had everything he needed he put the egg yolks and sugar into a bowl. Dean knew that he could easily use an electric mixer to get it to the correct consistency, but he prided himself on doing it by hand and being able to feel when it was perfect. So with a hand whisk, he started to beat the eggs and sugar together.

 

After a few minutes of doing this, and feeling every pull in his muscles, Dean realised that Castiel was beating his ingredients by hand as well. Everyone else was using either electric whisks or mixers, and Dean began to wonder if Castiel was doing this deliberately, to be extra competitive with Dean.

 

The harder Dean whisked, the harder Castiel seemed to whisk too, and Dean became aware that the cameras were being focused on the two of them. Whoever was in charge of filming was obviously enjoying this ‘battle’. Dean had a mental image of the director ordering the camera operators to keep an eye on the two of them. After all, they were two good-looking guys, in a kind of duel… it would certainly do their ratings no harm.

 

Dean was feeling mischievous, so he got Castiel’s attention by coughing loudly before saying “you’re working up quite a sweat there Castiel.”

 

Castiel turned and glared at Dean. “I do not sweat under any circumstances.”

 

Dean couldn’t lie - the way Castiel just spoke to him gave him tingles right down to his toes. God, he was hot when he was pissed.

 

Dean winked at him - just to mess with him, obviously, there was definitely no other reason - and Castiel scowled before turning back around. Dean had to bite his tongue, to stop himself from replying ‘I bet I could make you sweat’. He also couldn’t help but think of how Castiel might possibly make him sweat.

 

For the rest of the round, Dean could almost feel the way Castiel was avoiding making eye contact with him, or any interaction at all. He must have really gotten under his skin.

 

When Jody and Donna collected their mousses at the end of the cooking time, Dean could practically feel the raised eyebrows and pointed looks they were directing at him and Castiel.

 

“You boys put on a real good show for us today,” Jody said, with a sly smile. “The audience is gonna love you two.”

 

“Oh ya, you betcha,” added Donna. “And these are gonna taste extra special after getting such a good _whipping_.”

 

Dean could have sworn that he saw Castiel smile at Donna’s innuendo, although it disappeared so quickly, he might have been mistaken.

 

Gabriel tasted each offering - everyone had made chocolate mousse, except for Dean and Rowena - then deliberated with Jody and Donna for a few minutes, as he had done at the end of the first round. While they waited for the verdict, Dean glanced at Castiel, and saw his eyes quickly flick away. _Hmmm_...  very interesting.

 

“The contestant who will be going home today is…………………………………..”

 

Dean tried to concentrate on Gabriel, and not Castiel, who had moved, and his hand was now so close the back of it was almost touching Dean’s

 

“........................................................Hannah. Your mousse was not quite as light and airy as the others. Thank you for taking part.”

 

Hannah gave a resigned shrug, before shaking everyone’s hands and leaving. She gave Castiel a particularly warm handshake, and a wistful look, which Dean felt was quite inappropriate. He wanted to shout at her and remind her that she was married, but really, it was none of his business. And Castiel didn’t seem to remotely feel the same, by the way he tried to pull away from her.

 

Gabriel went through the usual routine of telling the remaining contestants what he liked and didn’t like about their desserts. He told Dean that his was practically perfect - fluffy, airy and delicious. “That workout you got sure paid off, Dean-o,” he added with a suggestive wink.

 

Turning to Castiel, he then said “And you Cassie, you really sweated for this one, didn’t you?”

 

Castiel didn’t give Gabriel the retort he had given to Dean, but he looked less than pleased at both the nickname and the insinuation.

 

Gabriel continued “your mousse was to die for. Death by Castiel’s chocolate mousse - what a way to go.”

 

Silence descended on the studio, as everyone wondered what on earth Gabriel was going to come out with next. “Soooo… anywho, I can’t wait to see what delights you are going to tempt me with tomorrow. And I look forward to more delights from you, too.” Gabriel pointed at Dean, then Castiel, and Dean saw the other man blush a deep red with embarrassment. Maybe Castiel hadn’t meant to get quite so carried away earlier.

 

Dean couldn’t help but look forward to competing with Castiel some more tomorrow. Although somehow, the word ‘competing’ seemed to be taking on a different meaning in his mind.

 

As usual, everyone gathered together in the bar after filming finished for the day - apart from Castiel, who had left immediately again. Dean spent a great evening with his new friends, and...  maybe it wouldn’t be so terrible if he didn’t win.

  


****

 

This was going to be more of a challenge - meringues could be tricky, what with needing to get the oven temperature just right. Still, Dean liked a challenge, and after thinking for a moment, he decided he would make smaller meringues, with raspberry and pistachios.

 

Like the previous day, Dean was determined to whisk it by hand. He wanted to get it mixed perfectly, and he knew instinctively how it was supposed to feel. He could see that Cas was going to do the same again too, and if it was a contest he wanted, that’s what he would get. The cameras were watching the two of them, and, it seemed, so was everyone else. _Damn_. Dean was sorely tempted to play up for the cameras, but maybe it wasn’t such a good idea. He would kind of like to get to know Castiel at least a little - or a lot - and ramping up the rivalry between them would surely have the opposite effect.

 

A gasp of dismay from Garth quickly drew the focus away from Dean and Castiel, and if Dean wasn’t so focused on his own preparation, he would have paid more attention to what was going on. Also, Dean wasn’t a rubbernecker - so he decided to ignore the drama that was unfolding. Castiel seemed to be the only other person who wasn’t interested, and it almost felt like they were alone together. It felt strange, but not unpleasant.

 

“Hey, Cas,” Dean said, as quietly as possible to the other man. “Seems like Garth’s having a problem.”

 

Castiel turned to Dean and frowned. “My name is Castiel. I do not like it being shortened.” He said, crossly. “And I do not concern myself with other people’s problems.”

 

“Er… okay. Sorry Casssssss… tiel.” Dean noted Castiel’s eye roll at his pronunciation of his name with glee. “So what, you just ignore anything that doesn’t affect you? Is that right?”

 

“No… no, that is not what I meant.” Castiel looked horrified at the implication. “I simply do not care for people being overly dramatic.”

 

Well, when he put it like that… Dean couldn’t really disagree.”Yeah, man. I know what you mean.” He searched around for something else to say. “How’s the meringue coming on?”

 

“That is no concern of yours.” Castiel gave Dean a suspicious look, as if he thought he was was trying to find out a trade secret.

 

“Right. Well, that told me, didn’t it?” Dean said to himself, then turned his attention back to his food. Fine! If Castiel wanted to be cold and aloof, who was Dean to stop him? Screw him… even if he was the most attractive angry person Dean had ever seen.

 

Dean made sure to completely ignore Castiel and avoid any kind of interaction with him, and got on with his cooking. He was very pleased with how the meringues turned out, but when Gabriel was presented with all the desserts to try, it became obvious what had happened with Garth. His offering was an absolute mess; even if it tasted good, the appearance was a disaster. Gabriel tasted it anyway, but everyone knew who was going to be eliminated this round.

 

Gabriel still insisted on drawing it out though.”The contestant going home today is…………………………………………….”

 

This was just annoying now.

 

“...............................................Garth. Your meringue was delicious, but sadly, it didn’t look as good as it tasted. Thank you for taking part.”

 

Garth pulled Mr. Fizzles out of his pocket, and he and the puppet stared sadly at each other before he sighed dramatically, then hugged everyone, except for Castiel, who made sure to hold out his hand to let Garth know that he didn’t want a hug.

 

“That was tough luck, man.” Dean said when Garth hugged him. He had developed a real liking for him.

 

Garth squeezed him extra tight before leaving, then Gabriel spoke to each of them to discuss today’s desserts. He told Dean and Castiel that theirs were perfectly light, tasted wonderful and were beautifully presented.

 

Until now, Dean had paid little attention to anyone else’s desserts, other than Castiel’s. But he had to admire Rowena’s pavlova. It  was utterly beautiful to look at, and from Gabriel’s reaction, it tasted as good as it looked. He realised that she was going to be a force to be reckoned with if he had a chance of winning.

 

It was no surprise that Castiel went back to his room before everyone else got together in the bar for their now regular gathering, and Dean was resolved not to think too much about it. Hannah wasn’t there either, and Dean assumed that she had gone home. After a couple of minutes, Dean realised that he had left his wallet in his room, so he left to go back and get it. Before he could even get there though, he noticed Castiel standing in the doorway of his room looking more uncomfortable than he had seen him. Hannah was standing ridiculously close to him, and he looked like he wanted to run away from her.

 

Without a second thought, Dean walked over to them and said “hey Cas, there you are! We’ve been waiting for you.” He hoped that Castiel would understand what he was trying to do, and play along.

 

“Oh Dean, yes. Thank you for coming to get me.” Castiel had a look of relief on his face at Dean’s intervention, but Hannah looked decidedly annoyed about it.

 

“Castiel, I wanted to speak to you about-”

 

“I am sorry Hannah, I really must be going.” Castiel pulled the door closed behind him, pushed past Hannah, and followed Dean without another word.

 

Once they reached Dean’s room, he turned to Castiel and said “jeeze, she’s not too good at taking a hint, is she?”

 

“I was trying to tell her that I am not interested in… what she was proposing,” Castiel shuddered. “But she wouldn’t leave me alone. Thank you for coming to my rescue.”

 

“No worries,” Dean said, while unlocking his door. “I could see she was making you uncomfortable.” A thought struck Dean then. “Crap. What if Hannah comes to the bar? Maybe we should stay here.”

 

“You would stay behind for me?” Castiel looked surprised and… touched by this.

 

“Well… yeah. You shouldn’t spend every evening alone, Cas...tiel. It’s not good for you.”

 

Castiel frowned, then, raising his hands he said “My people skills are rusty.” Making quotation marks with his fingers on ‘people’ and ‘rusty’.

 

It was adorably dorky, and Dean found himself warming to the guy a little bit more.

 

“You know what?” Dean said after deliberating for a moment. “Screw Hannah. Let’s go to the bar, and if she makes a move on you, I’ll… well, I’ll make her think we’re together.”

 

Castiel raised his eyebrows at this, and Dean was suddenly worried about how he was going to react. “Yes, okay. But hopefully it will not come to that.”

 

Dean was a little put out by this - it wasn’t exactly a boost to his ego - but he shrugged it off, grabbed his wallet, and they made their way to the bar. Luckily, Hannah wasn’t there, and thankfully she didn’t appear at all for the rest of the evening. Castiel stuck closely to Dean, however, and Dean realised that he hadn’t been kidding about his people skills.

 

Dean learned that Castiel had been a classical dancer when he was younger, but now he stuck mainly to teaching dance, with just the occasional performance. It was so strange to think that he could go on stage and perform in front of people, given how shy he was. Castiel became animated when he told Dean about his love of bees, and how he was trying to find a way to save them before it was too late, which was, frankly, one of the most adorable things Dean had ever heard. He decided to keep that to himself though.

 

For the most part, Castiel just sat and listened to everyone else talk. Rowena and Billie had become extremely close, and were discussing plans to start a business together. Garth told everyone the story of how he dropped his meringue on the floor, and tried to piece it back together. Dean didn’t have many interesting stories to tell about his job cutting hair, but he did talk at length about his family, and his baby - his ‘67 Chevy Impala. That car had once been his dad’s, and Dean was so proud when John gave it to him for his eighteenth birthday. Talking like this brought up a lot of fond memories; mostly involving him and Sam in the backseat, singing along while they travelled along some dusty backroad.

 

By the time Dean returned to his room later that evening, he was feeling a warmth towards his new friends. If he won the competition...  great! But if he didn’t… it wasn’t the end of the world.

  


****

 

This was what Dean had been waiting for, frankly. Pie was his favourite food, and he knew that his pastry was perfection. He was going to make the best damn pie Gabriel had ever tasted; he was pretty sure of that. And it was going to be nothing fancy either, just apple and spices. But he had worked hard to make this recipe the best it could be, so it being just apple wouldn’t matter.

 

Dean once again became irritated by Castiel’s precise measuring out of each ingredient, and it seemed that he was deliberately avoiding interacting with Dean. He made no eye contact, although Dean thought he saw him looking at him once or twice then quickly averting his eyes. Dean was feeling quite hurt, if he was honest; especially with how friendly and comfortable they had been with each other yesterday evening. _Hey_ , Dean told himself. _You’re here to win, not make friends_. He knew he was lying to himself, but it would get him through today, at least.

 

With there only being four contestants left, the studio was starting to feel smaller… more cosy. Jody and Donna were encouraging and teasing, as always, but they had given up trying the good cop bad cop routine; now they had become more like cheerleaders.

 

When Dean’s pie came out of the oven, he was delighted with how it looked and smelled. _Yes_ , this was the winner alright. He grudgingly admitted to himself that Castiel’s pie looked nice - okay, it looked amazing! - but did it taste as good as Dean’s? He highly doubted that.

 

Gabriel duly ate a piece of each one, and Dean couldn’t tell whose it was, but one of them had Gabriel taking another bite and making a face which could only be described as orgasmic. _It must be mine_ , Dean thought happily, as he mentally gave himself a pat on the back.

 

“The contestant going home today is……………………………………………………..”

 

Dean was about ready to scream now.

 

“...................................................Billie. This was the hardest decision I have had to make so far. Your pecan pie was delicious - it was very hard to choose between all of them.” Gabriel did seem genuinely sad to let Billie go, and he shook her hand warmly.

 

Billie hugged Rowena tightly, who had a tear in her eye, then Dean, who had mixed feelings. He was delighted to be in the final round, of course, but he had become very fond of her. There was a friendly handshake between Billie and Castiel, then she left and Gabriel turned his attention to the final three.

 

“Well, well, well.” Gabriel had a wicked smile on his face. “That was the best thing I have ever put in my mouth.”

 

_Here it comes_ , thought Dean, as he waited for the praise he knew was coming.

 

“Castiel! I have never tasted pastry like it, and the filling…” Gabriel made an Italian chef’s kiss gesture with his fingertips, and Castiel blushed deeply, while a small but breathtaking smile graced his features.

 

_Wait… what_? Dean was flabbergasted. Castiel’s pie was better than his? Son of a bitch! But now he really wanted to taste that pie. Dean barely listened to what Gabriel said about his pie, or Rowena’s; he was too busy coming up with a plan.

 

As soon as filming had finished and everything was wrapped up for the day, they left the studio and made their way back to the motel. Castiel walked with them for once, but he was quiet as always.

 

“I need to go to my room… gotta make a call.” Dean said as nonchalantly as possible, before disappearing. He waited in his room for about ten minutes, then made his way back to the studio and crept inside, checking to see if there was anyone around.

 

Satisfied that it was empty, Dean found where the pies had been left to be shared between the crew later. Castiel’s pie did indeed look awesome, and he had to stop himself from taking the whole thing. He cut a slice that he hoped wouldn’t be missed, and took a bite.

 

_Holy crap_! Had Castiel made a deal with a demon or something? Dean couldn’t help the moan that escaped him, and he was just wondering if he could get away with taking another piece when a voice stopped him.

 

“Dean?” Castiel growled, and Dean spun around to face him. “Why are you eating my pie?”

 

“Er… well, I wanted to see how good it tasted. Gabriel-”

 

“So you just took it without asking?” Castiel interrupted and stepped closer, anger on his face. And, _oh boy_ … how hot was that?

 

Dean was starting to feel hot under the collar. “Yeah, sorry man… I should have asked.”

 

“Yes, you should have.” Castiel moved closer again, and Dean wondered if he had any understanding of personal space. They were practically nose to nose now.

 

“Well, I’d better be going now. S-”

 

Before Dean could finish speaking, or leave, Castiel pressed a finger to his lips and shook his head.

 

“No, I think you should have some more.”

 

_What_? Dean didn’t understand what was going on, but the way Castiel was bossing him around was making him a little weak in the knees.

 

Castiel removed his hand, reached behind Dean to break off some pie, then carefully brought it to Dean’s lips. “This is what you want, isn’t it?” His voice seemed to have dropped even lower, and his eyes were boring into Dean’s.

 

Dean couldn’t speak… he could hardly think. He obediently opened his mouth and let Castiel put the food on his tongue, then closed his mouth around Castiel’s fingers. Castiel gasped, before taking his hand back, very slowly.

 

“D-do you want some more?” Castiel was trembling slightly now.

 

Dean swallowed what was in his mouth, then whispered “I’d rather taste something else.”

 

As if a switch had been flipped, Castiel lunged forward and crashed his lips into Dean’s. It was so sudden and unexpected, Dean stumbled backwards a little, and the back of his legs hit the table. Without missing a beat, Castiel pushed up against him, kissing him hungrily. It was all Dean could do to just hold on, and try to return the kiss with as much enthusiasm as he was receiving.

 

Castiel’s lips were soft, but his kisses were hard and passionate, and his tongue was insistent. One of Castiel’s hands was in Dean’s hair, while the other one had snuck under his shirt and he was exploring his body with his fingertips. Every touch from the man was intoxicating, and Dean lost all sense of where they were.

 

Castiel manuevered them so that Dean was lying back on the table, and he was draped over Dean. Castiel started kissing across his jaw and down his neck, and Dean ran his hands through that beautifully wild hair, which he’d been longing to touch.

 

Dean could feel something underneath him, and he moved one of his hands to try to work out what it was. To see if he could move it. His hand came back sticky… _shit_! It was one of the pies. They were making out on top of the desserts. Still, it gave him an idea.

 

Dean brought his hand to Castiel’s mouth - who was now kissing along Dean’s throat - and pushed his finger in so that Castiel could taste it. He stopped what he was doing, and looked up at Dean, confused.

 

“Apple? Where did that come from?”

 

Dean gestured to the mess around them. “We’re lying on it, Cas. We’ve ruined them.”

 

Castiel’s gaze turned dark, and Dean saw a mischievous glint in his eyes. “Well, it would be a shame to waste it.” He swiped his fingers through the mess, then brought it to Dean’s lips and smeared it over them.

 

When he had finished, he leaned forward and began to lick it off, until Dean was a squirming wreck. _Jesus_! What did they say about the quiet ones always being the worst? This was the filthiest, most erotic thing Dean had ever been part of, and he loved it. He returned the favour, by wiping some of the filling on Castiel’s cheek, then licking that off, and within a few minutes he was sticky in more places than he could count.

 

“Cas, this is fun… so much fun. But I think we should get outta here before the crew comes back to get their pie and finds us on the table instead.”

 

Castiel frowned, then reluctantly got off Dean and pulled him up. Dean got a good look at him then, and wondered if he looked as much of a mess as he did. There were globs of pie filling, and pieces of pastry stuck all over them - even in their hair. What was left of the pies looked like, well...  like someone had been thrashing around on them.

 

“How are we gonna explain this?” Dean asked, sheepishly.

 

“Explain what?” Castiel winked at Dean, took hold of his hand, and led him out of the studio, back towards the motel.

 

Dean’s mind was in a whirl. An hour ago, he wasn’t even sure Castiel liked him, and now, now they were… Actually, Dean didn’t know what they were, but he was determined to find out.

 

“You wanna come in and get cleaned up? We could conserve water?” Dean’s eyebrows waggled mischievously as they reached his room.

 

Castiel chuckled, then leaned forward until his mouth was brushing over Dean’s ear. “Don’t ask stupid questions,” he growled, pushing Dean through the door as soon as he had it unlocked.

 

As soon as they were inside, they were kissing again, like they might run out of time if they didn’t do this right now. Clothes were pulled off, bodies were admired and caressed, fingers were sucked - okay, they still had pie on them. They made out like teenagers under the shower, until the hot water ran out, then made love sweet and slow in Dean’s motel bed. It wasn’t his beloved memory foam, but it would remember them alright.

 

“Cas, why didn’t you want to talk to us… me, before?” Dean asked when they were dressed again. Dean had lent Castiel some clothes, seeing as his were not fit for wearing until they had been washed as thoroughly as their owner.

 

“We were rivals. I thought I might not try so hard to win if we became friendly.” Castiel looked kind of sorry about this.

 

“And now? Do you still want to beat me?” Dean was suddenly rendered helpless by the way Castiel stared at him. It was one of those stares that made him feel completely exposed.

 

“Yes… no. I don’t know. Those pretty green eyes can be very distracting.”

 

Dean swallowed, and looked away quickly, trying to hide his blushes.

 

Neither Dean or Castiel showed up at the bar that evening - they were far too busy. And Dean no longer cared much if he won or lost. He was having way too much fun for that.

  


****

 

When Dean arrived at the studio the next morning, some of the crew members were grumbling about something happening to last night’s food. He knew that he just needed to act natural, so he and Cas attempted to act as if nothing had happened between them. They could be discreet, right? They glanced at each other and smiled shyly, when no-one was looking, and Dean was certain that their new relationship was still a secret.

 

Dean noticed Jody and Donna seemed to be looking over at him and Castiel more often than usual, but that was surely because there were only three contestants left now. There definitely couldn’t be any other reason.

 

Despite knowing he was supposed to be playing it cool, Dean was in a playful mood. He leaned forward on the counter and whispered “Hey Cas, are you gonna make me a pie? You could feed it to me again.”

 

Castiel’s face went red as he stifled a laugh. “I will bake a pie for you if you are good.”

 

“Oh, I’ll be good.” Dean winked, before realising that they were being watched, closely. Even Gabriel was listening to what they were saying.

 

_Damn_. Back to the soufflé, and don’t make eye contact with anyone.

 

Dean was pretty pleased with how his chocolate liqueur soufflé turned out, especially as he knew it wasn’t his strong point. And he hadn’t really put as much effort into it as he had in the previous rounds. _Can’t think why_!

 

Gabriel tasted all three dishes after they had been presented to him, then they all gathered around to receive his final verdict.

 

“Sooooo… this has been a delight.” Gabriel started, with an eyebrow waggle. “As always, your dessert was magnificent,” he said to Rowena. “You two though,” he pointed at Dean and Castiel “maybe you need to concentrate more on the cooking and less on the extracurricular activities.”

 

Dean suddenly felt like he was back at school, being told off by the teacher. He stared down at his feet, and felt Castiel nudge his shoulder with his. When he lifted his head he was met with the most radiant smile. _Ah, screw it_.  Dean laced his fingers with Castiel’s and tried not to grin too much.

 

No-one looked surprised at this turn of events, and if Dean wasn’t currently feeling like he had won all the competitions at once, he might have wondered why.

 

“And the winner is…………………………………………………..”

 

_Seriously_?

 

“..............................................................Rowena.”

 

Gabriel said some other stuff about their souffles, and his hopes for their future success, but Dean wasn’t really listening.

 

“Are you disappointed that you didn’t win,” Castiel asked quietly.

 

“Nah.” Dean squeezed Castiel’s hand. “I might not have won, but I feel like a winner.”

**Author's Note:**

> I made a collection of 'Dean's' recipes, so if anyone is interested in looking at them, or even making them, here they are. (The Pâté à bombe is a base mixture for use in the mousse). [Crêpes](https://lmld.org/berries-and-cream-crepes/) [Cheesecake](https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/1940698/baked-raspberry-and-lemon-cheesecake-) [Mousse](https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/2470/mango-basil-mousse-with-passion-fruit-) [Pâté à bombe](https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/2458/pt-bombe) [Meringues](https://realfood.tesco.com/recipes/raspberry-and-pistachio-meringues.html) [Apple pie](https://www.deliciousmagazine.co.uk/recipes/deep-apple-pie/) [Soufflé](http://allrecipes.co.uk/recipe/8544/chocolate-liqueur-souffles.aspx)


End file.
